PLANT PATHOLOGY LABORATORY

The plant pathology laboratory is equipped to receive and maintain plant material in isolation for the identification and diagnosis of vegetable and fruit crop diseases, caused by viruses, virus-like, bacteria, fungi, phytoplasmas, insects, mites and nematodes, included in quarantine and non-quarantine lists, in compliance with technical protocols recognised at national and European level (EPPO standards, IPPC-ISPMs) and updated in line with technological advances and relevant official validations.

Development and validation of techniques for the diagnosis and assessment of the health status of plant material coming from different Mediterranean countries, as support to international cooperation projects;

Studies for the molecular characterisation of the major or newly reported pathogens;

Development of innovative methods for post-harvest control of pathogens, studies on host/pathogen/vector interactions and studies on the transmission and spread of quarantine pathogens and of their vectors;

Characterisation and conservation of fungal and bacterial collections for comparative studies.

Main instruments

Nucleic acids extractor

Autoclave for sterilisation

Laminar flow hood

Microscopes ad binoculars

Low and high-speed ultracentrifuges

Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges

Density gradient fractionator

Electrophoresis power supply

Gel electrophoresis display

Thermocyclers for PCR, Real-time PCR, RT LAMP (smart, ICgen…)

Hybridization oven

Incubators

Passive cooling experimental chamber for post-harvest tests

Ozone generator connected to passive cooling chamber

Incubators

Geomatics Laboratory

The laboratory is equipped to support training, research and early diagnosis of large-scale infections and the smart phytosanitary management of agricultural and natural resources. The products and services developed integrate mapping and traditional monitoring/surveillance systems with geomatic and high technology information methodologies based on the Global Positioning System, remote sensing, management and spatial modeling using GIS, and networked sensors.

Total GPS station Leica RX 1250

XylApp application developed for tablet android, aimed to monitoring Xylella fastidiosa in Puglia

In vitro culture laboratory

The laboratory is equipped for the sanitation and propagation of plant healthy material via in vitro culture techniques (micropropagation, meristem-tip culture, micrografting, and somatic embryogenesis).

Main instruments

Temperature-controlled cabinets for in vitro plant growth

Atmospheric moisture-controlled cabinets for heat treatment

Laminar flow hood

Autoclave

Teaching laboratory

The laboratory is primarily intended for training purposes for the students of the Master of Science course of “Sustainable Integrated Pest Management Technologies For Mediterranean Fruit and Vegetable Crops”. It is supplied with large benches, equipment and apparatuses (chemical fume hood, microscopes, stereo-microscopes, etc.) used to carry out experimental activities for teaching and demonstration purposes. Video projection system for on-screen display of tests is also available.

Experimental fields

Greenhouses, shades and insect-proof screenhouses

The IPM sector is provided with a climate-controlled greenhouse, insect-proof screenhouses and shades, mother blocks (varietal collections of healthy and infected plants of citrus, stone fruit and pome fruit crops, grapevine, olive and fig trees). Main activities include :

Biological testing (transmission by grafting onto woody indicators and mechanical transmission to herbaceous indicators), including the production of indicator plants;

Conservation of primary sources included in the certification scheme of Regione Puglia, and of sources sanitised within national and international cooperation projects;

Conservation of collections of infected plants for scientific use and research;

Acclimatation of material sanitised by in vitro techniques.

Photos

Temperature-controlled greenhouse split in different boxes at different temperatures

Heated tunnel for the production of citrus plant indicators

Insect-proof screenhouses for the conservation of healthy germplasm of citrus, stone and pome fruits

Insect-proof screenhouses for the conservation of infected plants

Shades for the production of stone fruit indicator plants and for the acclimatation of in vitro sanitised citrus plants